Ice Fishing Song
Hymnal Index | Ship's Company Website
(Garrison Keillor)
(to the tune of the Greenland Whale Fisheries)
When I was young I would tell tall tales, And lying was my sport.
But I haven't told a lie, Since the middle of last week,
When the boys and I went "nort", brave boys, when the boys and I went "nort"
We left after work, Ernie, Al and me, A week ago Tuesday day.
We passed that beer and the cooler in the trunk,
Through Bemidjie bore away, brave boys, through Bemidjie bore away.
We reached the lake at ten o'clock at night,
And drove out on the ice.
And we opened up the shack and we fired up the stove,
And passed that bottle twice, brave boys, and passed that bottle twice.
The fishing hole was full of ice, And it was late at night.
And Ernie reached into his tackle box,
To get his dynamite, brave boys, to get his dynamite.
He lit the fuse and he threw it down,
And then he yelled and cursed.
And he cried, "Oh no, I've made a bad mistake,"
"That was our bratwurst, brave boys, that was our bratwurst,"
We looked in the hole where the bratwurst sank,
And a giant fish leaped out,
A thirty pound walleye the size of a dog,
With the bratwurst in his mouth, brave boys, with the bratwurst in his mouth.
And Ernie passed the bottle once again,
To celebrate the catch.
And he reached in his tackle box to get him a cigar,
And I saw him light the match, brave boys, and I saw him light the match.
That cigar blew Ernie into East Grand Forks, And Al to West Duluth.
And since my life was spared that day,
I resolved to tell the truth, brave boys, I resolved to tell the truth.